Walking with Ghosts along the Bazaar: Urban Life in Ludd, Palestine, at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

Abstract

When the major changes Palestine went through during the previous century are discussed, especially in terms of the urban and human landscape, few studies focus on the urban–social aspects. This study reconstructs the urban fabric of three neighborhoods in Ludd, one of Palestine’s major cities, situated on the way from Jaffa to Jerusalem. The reconstruction attempted here is dual: On one hand, the Old City no longer exists, like many towns and villages destroyed in the Nakba; on the other hand, Ludd’s indigenous inhabitants have been ethnically cleansed. Hence, we do not have traces of buildings or neighborhoods, and we have almost nobody left to tell us about their ancestors. Therefore, I reconstruct the physical contours of sections of the city and invite some ghosts from the past to lead us through the imagined neighborhoods.